The hair coloring industry sells products on the retail and commercial levels in bottles and dispensers. For most hair salons, the use and sales of the products are monitored by inventory controls such as software accounting packages designed for salons. As each customer is treated with hair coloring solution, each leftover bottle of solution is stored or thrown away. The amount used per application for each customer is based on the amount dispensed by the salon employee.
An enormous amount of color waste is generated in today's salon due to the over mixing of color. This practice has a negative impact on the financial health of a salon and a negative affect on the environment. By reducing waste levels to zero waste, the profit margins of the business automatically grow, thus resulting in increased profitability. Waste is turned into real dollars and a healthy bottom line. With the rising costs of operating expenses, there exists a need in the salon industry for controlling the amount of solution for each individual.
There have been attempts to control the amount of hair coloring solution per application by providing single shot dispensers pumps. There have been patents for on site formulation of hair dye shades and shampoos as disclosed in Louise et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,481 and Hirsch et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,341. Measuring systems for effecting hair color are disclosed in MacFarlane et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,671, 735, 6,067,504, 6,314,372, 6330,341.
A hair coloring calculator is described in the patent to Scott U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,467. Scott provides a display which allows an individual to pick a hair color and the particular product line. However, there are no systems directed to a hair coloring method designed to save coloring solution from waste.
There exists a need in the salon industry for a global system used to control the amount of hair coloring dispensed for each customer based on the customer's need prior to treatment. There is a further need for a universal language in the hair coloring industry for communicating with salon employees and customers regarding each part of the head and the amount of color applied to the hair. A hair coloring system needs to be a controlled application method for calculating and applying a limited amount of solution to the hair of each individual based on area and color.